


i don't blame you for being you (but you can't blame me for hating it)

by Krewlak



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Ambiguous Cheryl Blossom/Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews/Josie McCoy (background), Betty Cooper/Reggie Mantle (background), Cruel Intentions meets 10 Things I Hate About You, Implied Fangs Fogarty/Sweetpea, Jeronica Secret Santa 2018, Minor Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Reversed!Jeronica
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-09-23 11:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17079266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krewlak/pseuds/Krewlak
Summary: Veronica Lodge resists the urge to sneer at him across the room. It’s his money in her pocket. She’s sure her father would have something to say about not scaring off the clientele. Even if that clientele is a Jones. Money is money, after all.She sneers anyways.Jughead mockingly sneers back before toasting her with his own drink. Cheryl looks between the two of them, eyebrow raised, before she’s smiling like the cat who got the canary.





	1. two months before homecoming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IWhiteCrossI](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWhiteCrossI/gifts).



> A reversed!Jeronica fic for sheishookedtothesilverscreen for the 2018 Jeronica Secret Santa exchange. Full disclosure - I have definitely gotten very caught up in this story so it’s nowhere near being done. But I just couldn’t wait to share this with you. Happy holidays!

Veronica doesn’t know why she sits down in the circle. It’s a stupid idea but once it’s in her head, she can’t let it go. She adjusts her jacket, crosses her ankles and stares around at the circle. She glances at Archie Andrews sitting across from her, arm casually slung over Josie’s shoulders, and feels something ugly twist in her stomach.

Veronica Lodge learned a long time ago not to be jealous. That it’s just something that makes a home in the pit of your soul. That it just gnaws at every inch of you until there’s nothing left but a hungry, wanting thing. She’s seen it happen. Seen it rip families to shreds. The Southside is full of its devastation.

She sips from her drink, trying to wash down her bitter thoughts, and looks up when Cheryl claps her hands. The redhead gives Veronica a slanting smile that makes her blood run cold. There’s a reason she doesn’t stay after making a deal.

“Alright, plebs,” Cheryl snaps, hand on her hip. “As the resident Blossom now that my beloved, older brother Jason has gone off to college, I just want to welcome all of you to our annual beginning of the school year party and to Thistle House.”

“We’ve all been here before, Cheryl,” Reggie Mantle calls out before nuzzling into Betty Cooper’s neck. Veronica raises her eyebrows at Betty from across the circle and the blonde’s cheeks turn bright pink. She shakes her head and Veronica sighs, rolling her eyes.

_Later_ , she mouths to Betty, raising her eyebrows. Betty bites her lip and nods before Reggie turns her face to his with a finger on her chin.  

“Obviously, the welcome is for the newcomers,” Cheryl says, keeping her eyes on Veronica. “Veronica, I assume you got a day pass from the slums of Riverdale to spend time with us tonight?”

“Ronnie isn’t new, Cheryl,” Archie says, smiling at Veronica. He rolls his eyes and she smirks a little before sipping her beer. “We’ve known her since kindergarten.”

“We’re on the Vixens together,” Betty chimes in, tilting her head and frowning in confusion. Reggie presses his face to her shoulder and whispers something that makes Betty snort.

“I’m sorry I don’t associate with my lessers,” Cheryl says, pressing a hand to her chest and widening her eyes. She’s the picture of innocence and it makes Veronica’s skin crawl. It’s no wonder that the town adults adore the Blossom siblings. No one else is better at looking like a flower but acting like the snake underneath. “I simply was trying to understand just _what_ she’s doing in my home?”

“Down, girl,” Jughead says as he wraps an arm around Cheryl’s shoulders. She rolls her eyes and sinks into his side, pursing her lips. “She’s here on special request.”

“Party favors?” Cheryl says with a smirk, looking up at Jughead through her lashes. He nods and Cheryl practically purrs in pleasure. She curls her fingers into the collar of Jughead’s shirt and bites her bottom lip before turning to Veronica. “I suppose you can stay. This time.”

She resists the urge to sneer at them. It’s his money in her pocket. She’s sure her father would have something to say about not scaring off the clientele. Even if that clientele is a Jones. Money is money. She sneers anyways. Jughead sneers back mockingly before toasting her with his own drink. Cheryl looks between the two of them, eyebrow raised, before she’s smiling like the cat who got the canary.

She turns her back on Veronica and looks up at Jughead. She scrapes her red nails up his neck and into his hair, dragging his attention away from Veronica. He presses a hand to her lower back, pulling her closer. His palm is hot against her bare skin.

“Yes, dear?” he asks softly. She gives him a fond smile that he’s sure no one but her brother has ever seen. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am,” she says, tilting her head slightly. Her cascade of red hair brushes against his chest and he’s given a clear view of Veronica again. She’s talking with Toni, the Serpent that’s garnered Cheryl’s attention for the moment. Cheryl pulls his attention back to her when she tugs on his hair gently. He looks down at her with a hum and a smirk. “I have a way to make it better though.”

“Do you?”

“A simple wager,” she says before licking her lips. “Between dear friends.”

“And what would this wager be?” Jughead asks, intrigued. He licks his lips and brings his cup to his mouth to take a sip, enjoying the way Cheryl’s eyes track the movement. “Between dear friends, of course.”

“Veronica Lodge.”

Jughead’s eyes flick past Cheryl on reflex. Veronica is long gone. He looks back at Cheryl and narrows his eyes at the way she’s smirking, “What about her?”

“I want you,” she says, sliding both hands over his chest to lock behind his neck. “To make our resident Serpent your homecoming date.”

Jughead can’t help the laugh that bursts from his mouth. It's a ridiculous notion. Not only that Veronica Lodge would even show up to a school dance but on his arm of all people. Cheryl smiles brightly and shakes her head. She steps closer to him, pressing her curves against him until he’s looking at her again.

“Come on, Juggiekins,” Cheryl purrs. “Aren’t you tired of easy girls like Ginger? Don’t you want a challenge?”

“Where’s the wager?” Jughead asks, corner of his mouth quirking up. She’s not wrong but he’s not naive enough to think that there isn’t something in it for her. There is always something in it for a Blossom. “What’s in it for me?”

“Always looking at the bottom line,” Cheryl says, shaking her head. “Like father, like son, I suppose.”

“I don’t think you have any room to bring up fatherly relationships, do you?” Jughead asks, tilting his head. “What do you want, Cheryl?”

Cheryl shrugs and raises an eyebrow, “What do you think, Jughead? Our usual stakes?”

Jughead laughs a little and rolls his eyes before nodding, “One day we’re going to have to come up with better stakes than the dollar we’ve been passing back and forth for the past decade.”

“But it’s my favorite thing that we do,” Cheryl says with a pout. Jughead sighs before holding out his hand for her to shake on it. She giggles slightly before taking his hand and her smile reminds him of the very first bet they’d ever made. “The wager is set. No backing down, Jones.”

“Have I ever backed down from anything?” Jughead asks. He doesn’t let go of her hand, just pulls her closer to him. “Now tell me what it is you’re actually getting out of this.”

Cheryl rolls her eyes and crosses her arms before replying, “Toni is being difficult about being my date.”

“I thought that was a summer only thing?” Jughead asks, sipping from his cup again. He almost pouts when he realizes that the red plastic cup is almost empty. “Three month expiration date and all that?”

“Forsythe,” Cheryl says, narrowing her eyes. “Are you implying that I go to our Senior Homecoming dance _alone_?”

“I would never,” Jughead says, pressing a hand to his chest and widening his eyes.

Cheryl observes him for another moment longer before huffing, “She says that I’m ashamed of her or some other nonsense. As if we wouldn’t look absolutely divine standing next to each other in all of our made up glory.”

“I’m not hearing where Veronica comes into play here.”

“It’s a stipulation of Toni being my date,” Cheryl says. “It’s something about accepting all the parts of her. Including the Serpents.”

“You really like her.”

“I, honestly, don’t know what is more insulting - the implication that I have feelings or the shock in your voice that I enjoy the presence of someone who isn’t you,” Cheryl says, tilting her head. She reaches for Jughead’s cup and pouts down at its emptiness. “Refill?”

“Yes, yes, ask and you shall receive,” Jughead mutters, pressing a kiss to her temple before wandering away.

The party is thriving around him and it’s good. It makes it easy to wade through the masses unobserved, gives him a chance to let down some of his guards. For a few minutes, he’s just another kid at Riverdale High trying to get wasted instead of Forsythe Pendleton the third, heir-apparent to the Jones real estate empire.

“Jones!” Reggie Mantle shouts from the beer pong table. He points at him across the room and smirks before flipping him off. “Next round?”

“Fuck off, Mantle,” Jughead shouts back, passing through the room. Betty Cooper smiles at Jughead over Reggie’s shoulder and rolls her eyes. He’ll never understand what it is that she sees in him. He follows the sound of cheers and comes across the kegs on the patio. He’s surprised to find the Serpents standing around cheering as Sweetpea and Fangs hold Veronica up for a keg stand. “Isn’t this charming?”

Toni sneers at him, any sort of laughter falling from her face, “Jonesy. Hope you’re not here to ruin our good time?”

“I would never stop a group of youths from corrupting themselves and, frankly, I’m insulted that you would insinuate such a thing,” Jughead says. The corner of Toni’s mouth twitches a little and he feels a slight burst of triumph. Maybe Cheryl will be pleased.

“God, can’t you talk like a normal kid?” Sweetpea mutters as he lowers Veronica back to the ground. “You grew up in Riverdale the same as the rest of us, Jones.”

“Are we going to pretend that growing up in the Pembrooke is the same as growing up in Sunnyside?” Fangs says, patting Veronica on her back. “Is that a thing now?”

“Relax, Fogarty,” Jughead says, rolling his eyes. “I don’t want to intrude on your good time.”

Veronica finally turns around to face him, eyes lazy and lips smirking. He pauses for a second and welcomes the appraising look that she gives him. They’ve known each other since they were kids. He’s been a loyal customer of her's for years at this point. Since middle school, anything he's needed, from weed to coke, Veronica Lodge has been capable of providing. But he’s sure that she has never looked at him the way that she is right now. It’s hungry and mean and, in a way that's both intriguing and alarming, shy. Her eyes scan over him and it feels like being tested, as if his worth is being weighed. He finds that he wants her to keep looking. He finds that he wants her to find him worthy underneath all the wealth and designer clothes and literary references. 

He blinks. Maybe he's drunker than he thought.

“You coming, Ron?” Joaquin asks, draping an arm over her shoulders. He gives Jughead a once over before smirking and looking back at Veronica. She wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand, smearing her lipstick a little. She reaches up and laces her fingers with Joaquin’s and raises an eyebrow at Jughead before sauntering away. “Please tell me you were not just eye-fucking Jughead Jones.”

“Shut up,” Veronica says with a laugh, bumping her hip against Joaquin’s. She wants to look back, wants to see if he’s still watching her, but she doesn’t. She’s better than that. She’s learned her lesson when it comes to wanting Northside boys. And he’s the worst of the lot. “I just sell to him.”

“Sell what?” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows. Veronica curses under her breath and lets go of his hand. “I’m kidding. You know I like Northside boys.”

“Well, I know better,” Veronica says, shaking her head. They pass through an archway and find themselves in a different part of the garden. She points a finger at Joaquin and narrows her eyes. “And you should, too. Don’t think I didn’t notice you and Moose sneaking off at the Twilight last week. That boy is so far in the closet, it’s not even funny.”

“Some of us like to get laid, Ron,” Joaquin says, holding his hands up.

“What’s this about getting laid?” Fangs asks as he catches up with them. “Is our resident ice queen finally going to unclench?”

“Why are you such a pig?” Veronica asks with an exasperated sigh.

“Oink oink, babe,” Fangs replies, smirking at her a little and winking.

He wraps an arm around her waist and she takes the opportunity to dig her hand into his jacket pockets until she finds his pack. She pulls out a cigarette and rolls her eyes when Fangs complains. She pulls out a second one and lights them both, putting the second one to Fangs’ lips.

“That is such a nasty habit,” Sweetpea complains. He pulls the cigarette from Fangs’ mouth and sucks at it himself. He smirks a little at Fangs as he hollows out his cheeks and Veronica rolls her eyes.

“Can you two please flirt somewhere else?” Veronica mutters around her own cigarette. She blows the smoke out in a series of rings and smiles softly.

“But they’re so cute,” Joaquin says, tilting his head a little. Sweetpea flips him off and Joaquin blows him a kiss.

“Don’t be grumpy, Ronnie,” Sweetpea says, ignoring Joaquin and pressing a red solo cup into her hand. He gives her a big smile that somehow still manages to look a little mean. “We’re at a party. Our _last_ beginning of the school year party.”

“We’re celebrating!” Fangs shouts, throwing both of his fists into the air. Joaquin jumps on his back and hollers as they both fall to the ground. Sweetpea throws his head back and cackles, hands clutching his stomach.

“You’re all idiots,” Veronica mutters, shaking her head. She holds her cigarette between her lips as she digs her phone out of her jacket pocket. Of course there are three messages from Hiram. Three different locations he wants her to stop by. She sighs and puts out her cigarette, crushing it under her boot. “I gotta go.”

“Seriously?” Fangs asks, face dropping. He starts to pout but Veronica pinches his cheek to stop him. “Come on, Ron. This is our year!”

“Tell that to my father,” she sighs. “I’ve got drops to make.”

Fangs frowns before looking at Sweetpea. They have one of their silent conversations before nodding and turning back to her. He looks far too serious when he says, “We’re coming with you.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Veronica says, irritated at the presumption. She can’t help the slightly affectionate smile though. “Enjoy your night.”

“You know none of us like you going on drops alone,” Sweetpea says, nodding at Joaquin and Fangs. “It’s bullshit that he sends you in solo. No Serpent stands alone.”

Veronica rolls her eyes and sticks her hand in her back pocket. Her knife makes a small sound as she flicks it open and raises her eyebrows as she reassures them, “I can handle it. Tell Toni that I left.”

“You know she’s going to be pissed,” Sweetpea says, raising his eyebrows.

“Won’t be the first time,” Veronica says with a shrug as she puts her knife away. The matching frowns on their faces don’t go anywhere and Veronica can’t help the feeling of guilt in her stomach. She reaches up and cups the back of both their necks, pulling them into a hug. “You know how he is."

“And you know that we all think that’s bullshit,” Fangs mutters. “You shouldn't have to deal your dad's drugs - wasn't that the whole point of joining the Serpents? To get out from under his thumb.”

“You know my trailer is your whenever you need it,” Sweetpea mutters. He glowers down at Veronica and Fangs, lips pressed into a thin, pale line. “You don't need to do this just to keep his roof over your head.”

"Just until school is over," Veronica reminds him. She reaches up and cups the back of his neck, makes him look her in the eye. "Until this year is done and then we're all getting out of this shitty fucking town."

"Right."

She knows that he doesn't believe her. That's he's starting to believe her less and less the closer they get to graduation. 

"Be safe, Ronnie," Fangs mutters, scuffing his boot against the ground.

“Always.”

“You call us as soon as you’re back on Serpent turf,” Joaquin says. “The Ghoulies have been acting stupid lately so no risks, Lodge.”

“You three are worse than a mother,” Veronica says, rolling her eyes.

She shoves her hands into her pockets and winks at them before spinning on her heel and heading out of the garden. Joaquin shouts something at her that she doesn’t catch before she rounds the corner of the house. She wishes that she’d taken another cigarette from Fangs for her walk to Pop’s. She checks her phone again to make sure she knows where she’s going. Of course, Hiram has sent another text asking her where she is.

“You know, you probably shouldn’t walk home alone,” Jughead mutters as he falls into step next to her. Veronica rolls her eyes and shoves her phone back into the back pocket of her shorts. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind escorting you.”

“Do I look like I need an escort, Jones?” Veronica snaps, curling her hands into fists and shoving them in her pockets. It was too warm for her leather but she felt better when she wore it. Felt better handing out dime bags and pills. Felt better walking the town at night. When he keeps walking next to her, she stops and glares up at him. “Go back to your party, Jughead.”

“Let me walk you home,” he insists, eyes lazy and stoned. He licks his bottom lip and scrapes his hair back with a hand. She’s sure that move works on some girls but Veronica finds herself narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Come on, Veronica. It’s just one walk.”

“I’m not going home.”

He raises his eyebrows and looks back at the party before looking at her again. He jerks his thumb back towards the house and asks, “Then why are you leaving?”

“You know I’m here on business, Jones,” Veronica says through clenched teeth.

“And the business is concluded,” Jughead says with a nod. He takes a step towards her and gives her what she thinks is supposed to be a bashful smile. She doesn’t buy it for a second. “So, stay a while.”

“Jesus Christ, what do you want?” she snaps, patience thin. She knows it’s only a matter of time before Hiram starts calling her. “I do not have time for this.”

“Just. Trying to be friendly,” Jughead says, leaning back a little. He scratches the back of his neck and looks around. Veronica raises her eyebrows, waiting for something better - for his actual reason. Jughead shoves his hands into his pockets and leans back a little. “Be my homecoming date.”

Veronica jerks back like she’s been slapped. Jughead curses himself internally. This was not how he wanted to do this but he’s stoned and a little drunk. He’s not even sure why he agreed to this in the first place. Especially considering the way that she’s looking at him like he’s grown a second head.

“What?”

“Be. My. Homecoming date,” Jughead says slowly. Might as well commit. The second head look only intensifies. “This is where you say something, generally.”

“I have to go,” she replied, shaking her head. She turns on her heel and marches away.

“Is that a yes?” he calls after her. She flips him off over her shoulder and he smiles a little. "I'm taking that as a maybe!"


	2. Six weeks before homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I posted this and then rethought it and finally decided on a structure for this fic. So, sorry for deleting and reposting BUT it's longer this time. lol

During lunch on Monday, Jughead sits down at the Serpents’ table next to Veronica. He unpacks his lunch in silence, ignoring the way the table goes quiet and they all turn to look at him. He bites into his sandwich and smiles around the mouthful of bread and cheese. Toni tilts her head at Veronica and shrugs her shoulders, asking a silent question.

“What are you doing?” Veronica finally asks him. The rest of the table is tense, waiting to see what their leader is going to do.

“Eating my lunch,” Jughead says simply. “What are you doing?”

“You don’t eat lunch here,” Fangs says, leaning across the table. He laces his fingers together and gives Jughead a mean smile. “You’re out of place, Jones.”

“Didn’t realize that there were assigned seats in the cafeteria,” Jughead says. He looks up and down the table. “Don’t see anyone’s names displayed at their seats.”

“Don’t be a smartass,” Sweetpea huffs. He eyes Veronica for a long minute before turning back to Jughead. “You got business? You save it for after school. Ronnie doesn’t deal at school.”

“Now, we all know that’s a lie,” Jughead snorts. He takes another bite of his sandwich and watches the way the entire table turns to Veronica. “We all knew that right?”

“Shut. Up,” Veronica hisses at Jughead. “Just shut up.”

She stands up and grabs the back of his collar, dragging him out of his seat. He stumbles after her into the hallway. They pass by Cheryl who just raises a single eyebrow at him. He shrugs, knowing that he’ll have to explain everything later.

“Veronica, slow down,” Jughead mutters, putting his long legs to use catching up with her. “What just happened?”

“You running your big mouth is what happened,” Veronica snaps. She runs a hand through her hair and tries to stop the pounding of her heart. It’s not a big deal. She knows that it’s not but she can’t help the panic at being found out by everyone.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me that they didn't know?" Jughead asks, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. He snorts and shakes his head. "I mean, they can't be that obtuse."

“Why did you sit next me?” Veronica asks, ignoring his attempts to get in her business. He shrugs and looks around the hallway unsure. She snaps her fingers in his face and waves her hand for an answer, “Well?”

"Tell me what that was back there first," he replies, crossing his arms. He leans back against the row of lockers and smirks at her a little. 

"Why do you care?"

"Does it matter?"

Veronica weighs her options and keeps her eyes on Jughead. Everything about his posture screams relaxed but his eyes are on her face and they haven't moved once. She's known him since kindergarten. She knows his face even if she doesn't want to. He genuinely wants to know.

"The drugs," she murmurs. "It's not Serpent business. They don't know anything about it. Your turn."

"My turn?" he asks, raising his eyebrows. 

"Why did you sit next to me?" she asks, curling her hands into fists. She fidgets slightly under his thoughtful gaze. She half enjoys it, half hates it, but she just wants an answer.  

“I was serious. When I asked you to be my date,” Jughead says, shrugging. She half wonders how hard he has to practice being nonchalant the way he is. He must. There's no way that he's just naturally this obnoxious. “Eating lunch together seemed the next logical step.”

“The next. Logical. Step,” Veronica repeats slowly. She clenches her jaw and breathes out loudly through her nose. “You’re a moron. You are a total moron.”

She throws her hands up in irritation and marches away from him again. He calls her name but she ignores him, flipping him the bird of her shoulder. She ignores the nagging voice at the back of her head that says it’s becoming a habit.

That evening when Veronica is working her shift at the Wyrm, Sweetpea corners her in the beer cooler.

“Don’t do this,” Veronica mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Please.”

“You said it was only parties,” Sweetpea said. “It started as only parties. And then you were making private deliveries. And now school?”

“I do what I have to,” Veronica says slowly. She looks up at Sweetpea and tries not to chafe under his protective gaze. She knows that it’s coming from a good place. It always comes from a good place. “And when I graduate. I’m done.”

“You’ve been saying that for two fucking years, Ronnie,” Sweetpea snaps. He grabs her upper arms and pulls her a little closer. “How much longer are you going to let the Snake Charmer rule your life?”

“He’s my father.”

“And the Serpents are your family,” Sweetpea replies. “You know we would have your back if you stopped. Hiram can’t touch you if we’re protecting you. If you’d just fucking let us.”

“And then what?” Veronica asks. “What happens when I stop dealing? You think Hiram Lodge is going to walk away from the trade he’s been building since high school? He’s the Snake Charmer for a reason, Sweetpea. Don’t give him any reason to start calling in favors.”

She doesn’t give him a chance to say anything else before she’s leaving the cooler.

Jughead sits down next to her again the next day. And the day after that. He does it for a week straight. Sweetpea and Fangs are decent enough to not say anything but the same cannot be said for Toni. During study hall, the pink-haired Serpent corners Veronica to asks about Jughead.

“I swear, there is nothing to tell,” Veronica says, closing her eyes. She doesn’t have the mental energy for this. There’s a calc quiz already that’s looming over her head and her dad is trying to find a new supplier. Things are tense in the Lodge household, to say the least. “He has this idea that he wants to date me.”

“Really?” Toni asks, the surprise clear in her voice. She crosses her arms and leans over Veronica’s desk, ignoring the way Mrs. Crabtree hushes them. “Like take you out in public date or just fucking in the backseat but calling it dating?”

“Miss Topaz!” Mrs. Crabtree snaps. Toni rolls her eyes and turns around in her seat. “Another word and I will write you up.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Crabtree,” Toni says and Veronica can picture the saccharine smile on her face. It’s only a few seconds before she’s passing a note backwards.

_ So are you going to save us all the torture and just go on one measly date? _

Veronica huffs and chews on the end of her pen. She scribbles out a response quickly.

_ I’m not falling for another Northside boy’s bullshit. _

She can hear Toni snort as she read’s Veronica’s note. Veronica sinks further down into her seat and tries to read her calc notes. They don’t make any sense but she opens her textbook in some vain attempt at reteaching herself the lessons. A small paper football falls into the open crease of her book.

_ No one said anything about falling for him, Lodge. It’s one date. _

_ It’s homecoming. Not just one date but  _ _ homecoming _ , Veronica jots back before tossing the crumpled up ball of a note over Toni’s shoulder. Toni just turns around in the seat to glare at Veronica.

“What?”

“Don’t be a chicken shit,” Toni snaps. “It’s just homecoming. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Veronica narrows her eyes at Toni. Mrs. Crabtree is glaring at her pink head but Toni doesn’t notice. Veronica decides that she doesn’t care about the threat of detention as she asks, “Why do you care?”

“Maybe I want to see you have a little bit of fun our senior year?” Toni asks, raising a single eyebrow. Veronica doesn’t totally believe her. She’s not dumb enough to think that Toni doesn’t have some other angle. Toni sighs and looks around the room. “And maybe I want Cheryl to feel better about being my date.”

“Are you serious?” Veronica groans, tilting her head back. She stares up at the ceiling until Mrs. Crabtree’s sour expression comes into view. Veronica sits up quickly and swallows the lump in her throat. “Ma’am?”

“Since you two have so much to talk about,” she starts, glaring between Toni and Veronica. “You can continue your conversation this afternoon in detention.”

“Great,” Veronica says, giving her a tight lipped smile. Mrs. Crabtree sniffs loudly, sticking her nose in the air before marching back to the front of the classroom. She leans forward to poke Toni in the shoulder, “Who can cover if I’m late tonight? I’m supposed to bartend and you know how my dad is when I’m late.”

“Sweetpea can, don’t worry,” Toni says with a shrug, waving her hand at Veronica. She points a finger at Veronica and gives her a serious look. “Don’t think this conversation is over either, Miss Lodge.”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten your attempt to use me to smooth things over with that red-haired viper, Miss Topaz,” Veronica snaps back. Toni smiles a little too brightly at the nickname. It makes Veronica even grumpier than she was before she got detention. “Seriously? Is it really that good?”

“She’s . . . intense but there is something about that girl,” Toni says, shaking her head. The bell rings signalling the end of the period. Toni gathers her stuff up and looks at Veronica for a long minute. Her gaze is assessing and far too understanding for Veronica’s liking. She reaches a hand out and grabs Veronica’s forearm. “But seriously? It’s just one dance and it’ll be our last homecoming together. Shouldn’t we go out with a bang?”

“I will get one milkshake with him,” Veronica says quickly, holding up a finger. “Just to see if I can tolerate him for more than five minutes and we will see about homecoming.”

Toni clasps her hands together and does a little happy jig. Veronica rolls her eyes and throws an arm around her shoulders. She guides the shorter girl out of the classroom and into the hallway while Toni repeatedly says thank you.

Veronica shouldn’t be surprised when Jughead meets her outside the classroom with Fangs. She is but she shouldn’t be. They’re casually chatting and Veronica doesn’t know when she missed the moment those two actually became friendly.

“Veronica. Antoinette,” Jughead says, nodding at them both. Toni’s giddiness from a moment ago fades slightly but she still gives him a bright smile. “Having a good day, are we?”

“The best day,” Toni says, giving Veronica a side eyed look that Jughead can’t interpret. He slides his eyes to Veronica and asks the question with a raised eyebrow. “Promise it’s going to get better for you, Jonesy. Come on, Fangs. Walk me to shop.”

Toni winks at Veronica before grabbing Fangs by the arm and dragging him down the hallway. Jughead turns back to Veronica, corner of his mouth tilting up into a crooked smile. Veronica straightens her back and takes a deep breath, “Meet me at Pop’s for a shake Friday night?”

He jerks back and Veronica swears there’s a slight blush on his cheeks. She resists the urge to call him out on it but breaks anyways, “You’ve been hounding for me a week. I finally give in and all you can do is blush?”

“Shut up,” he snaps, clearing his throat. He takes a step towards her and lets his hair fall into his face a little. She’s sure its a practiced move. “So, a chocolate malt on a Friday night? How. Quaint.”

“Is that too small town for you, Mr. Gatsby?” she asks.

“I’ve always thought of myself as a Nick Carraway, actually,” Jughead says, tilting his head back. Veronica scoffs. “You disagree?”

“I definitely disagree,” Veronica says with a nod. The warning bell for the next period rings. “We can discuss in length over that chocolate malt on Friday.”

“You are confounding, Lodge,” Jughead says, shaking his head. Veronica perks up a little at the compliment. The way his eyes seem glued to her face, the way he seems so amused and intrigued. She knows that it’s meant as a something almost endearing. “And I am more than willing at share a chocolate malt with you.”

Veronica nods and turns on her heel to walk down the hall. She already has detention once. She doesn’t need it from a different teacher as well. Jughead watches her walk away, the amused smirk slowly spreading into a dopey smile.

“I guess I’ll just text you then?” Jughead shouts at her retreating form. She flips him off and he presses a hand to his heart when she smirks over her shoulder.

On Tuesday, he meets her outside in the parking lot. They walk over to Pop’s, passing over his car, in silence. It’s not bad. The silence and his presence bother her a lot less than she thought it would. They pick a booth in the corner, farthest away from the door. She slides in without taking her jacket off, watches with interest as he stops to say hello to Pop Tate.

“You do know that there are only two of us, right?” Veronica asks as the waitress walks away from them after taking their order. 

Veronica had been reasonable and ordered onion rings and a chocolate shake. Jughead, on the other hand, had ordered two burgers, fries, his own order of onion rings, and his own chocolate shake.

“I’m a growing boy,” he says with a shrug. He gives the waitress a crooked smile that makes her blush as she drops off their shakes. “And I have the appetite to match.”

“How are you not 300 pounds?” Veronica asks, thinking about her own Vixen uniform that seems to shrink every summer. “Where does it all go?” 

He pops the cherry into his mouth, waving the stem at her, as he says with a smirk, “Stamina.”

“Stamina?”

“I can show you, if you like,” he replies softly and it feels like another practiced move, another calculation to catch her off-guard. “All you have to do is ask.”

“Jesus, do you ever get tired of this game that you’re always playing?” Veronica huffs, eating her own cherry. She shakes her head and washes it down with some of her milkshake. “Can’t you just be a normal teenager for five minutes?”

“Says the girl who’s part of a motorcycle gang,” Jughead mutters, shaking his head. “At the ripe old age of seventeen, no less.”

Veronica clenches her fist and Jughead knows that he’s crossed a line. He bites into his burger, ignoring the warning bells ringing in his head. She flexes her hands and presses them flat against the table, leaning forward. Her face is intensely calm when she asks, “What do you know about it, Jones?”

“Nothing,” he says around a mouthful of beef and cheese. He shrugs and tries to toss his hair out of his eyes without putting his burger down. “It’s not like anyone forced you to put the jacket on, Veronica.”

“It’s easy for you to say that, isn’t it?” Veronica says, voice low. “You got out. The Jones family got out.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jughead gorans, leaning back. He wipes his hands clean and swallows the last bite of his burger. “This lame ass story again?” 

“It’s the truth.”

“It’s bullshit,” Jughead leans forward onto his elbows. He picks up his second burger and bites into it. “It was bullshit when your dad flipped out on mine in middle school. It was bullshit when you first started wearing that jacket. And it’s bullshit now.”

“That’s real rich coming from you,” Veronica says, shaking her head. “You don’t know shit about my life or life on the Southside. You have the privilege of not knowing.”

“Don’t assume to know anything about my life either, Lodge,” Jughead snaps because he can’t help himself. She, naturally, rolls her eyes. “Look. I get it. Girl from the wrong side of the tracks dealing drugs to make ends meet, joining a gang for protection. I  _ get _ it.”

“Fuck you, Jones,” Veronica hisses. 

She pushes her onion rings towards him and stands up. She shoves her hands into her pockets and doesn’t even so much as flip him off before stomping towards the exit. He watches the Serpent on her jacket for a minute before dropping his head and his burger. He throws down enough money to cover everything and chases after the girl. 

He slows to a leisurely stroll once he’s caught up with her, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. He tilts his head back and lets the slight breeze brush it back from his forehead. Veronica doesn’t acknowledge him as he falls into step with her. He doesn’t apologize. He thinks she’d be insulted by it if he tried. She doesn’t stop him from walking with her, though. Doesn’t snap at him or try to make him go away. It’s not forgiveness, per se, but he takes it. 

“So, the reason I’ve always felt that I was more of a Nick Carraway is, of course, my outsider standing that allows me to observe all that humankind can be,” Jughead says with a shrug. Veronica’s burst of laughter makes her entire face light up. It’s almost enough to soothe the sting from the implied insult. “What?”

“How are you the narrator of the story?” Veronica asks, raising an eyebrow at him. “When we both know that you’d much rather be the center of it?”

“You think you know so much about me, Veronica Lodge,” Jughead says, shaking his head. 

“That’s because I do.”

“Enlighten me then,” Jughead challenges. 

He digs in his pocket and pulls out his pack of cigarettes. He pulls out two without being asked, lighting both before handing one to her. Her fingers brush against his and he tells himself that the subsequent goosebumps are from the early evening chill. He’s sure that this is going to bite him in the ass but she hasn’t stopped smiling since he called himself Nick Carraway. He wants to keep a good thing going for as long as she’ll let him.

“Well,” she says before sucking on her cigarette. He wonders, briefly, if she hollows out her cheeks on purpose before she’s cupping his elbow and guiding him towards Pickens Park. They settle onto a bench, facing each other. Veronica pulls her legs up and wraps her arms around her knees, watching his face. “The whole rich kid thing definitely negates your Nick Carraway theory.”

“They never say whether or not Nick is poor,” Jughead points out. 

“But he’s of humble roots. The midwest. That’s what makes him an outsider,” Veronica says, pointing at him. “You, Forsythe Pendleton Jones, are Riverdale royalty. The very opposite of humble roots. Your dad dragged himself out of the Southside. Out of the Serpents. All to put a crown on your head.”

“If anyone in this town has a crown on their head, we both know it’s Cheryl Blossom,” Jughead mutters. “Maybe Jason. But Cheryl has always been partial towards obvious signs of wealth and power.”

“You are missing the point,” Veronica says, narrowing her eyes at him. “On purpose, I think.”

“I would never,” Jughead replies, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense. “And, honestly, I’m a little insulted that you would insinuate such a thing.”

She watches him for a long minute but Jughead can’t tell if it’s a good thing or not. She twists out the cherry from her cigarette and puts it, half-smoked, in her pocket. He sucks on his own and blows the smoke up above their heads. 

“You’re Gatsby. Hiding behind his wealth. Throwing parties constantly all in the hopes that people will like you. But you don’t have friends, do you, Jughead Jones?” Veronica asks softly. She tilts her head, eyes soft and almost pitying. He fucking hates it. After a long, analyzing minute, she shakes her head. “I didn’t think so.”

“What’s your fucking point?”

“There is no point,” Veronica says with a shrug. She stands up and looks down her nose at him. It seems appropriate. “You can try to convince me why I’m wrong on Tuesday.”

“What’s on Tuesday?”

“Vixens practice,” Veronica says as she stretches. She scrapes her hair back and starts to braid it. When she’s done, she shoves her hands back into her pockets and gives him the same bashful, mean look that she had at the party before school started. “You can buy me a burger afterwards and make your argument.”

He raises both eyebrows, leans back against the bench. He crosses his arms and tries hard to not smirk in triumph. He knows that he’s failing when Veronica chuckles and shakes her head. He has the urge to rush up and kiss the reluctant smile off her face. She winks at him, then, before turning on her heel and walking away. When he shouts her name, she gives him her customary middle finger. 


	3. one month before homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She looks him up and down before saying slowly, “Veronica works at the White Wyrm with Toni.”
> 
> “And?”
> 
> “And,” Cheryl says. “I would like to see my paramour. Accompany me?”
> 
> “Why?”
> 
> “I haven’t been invited , exactly,” Cheryl says, nostrils flaring and mouth pressing into a dramatic frown. “But. That will not deter me. So, come with me.”

It becomes a standing date. After Vixens practice, Jughead casually positions himself in the parking lot, leaning against his car, and falls into step next to her as she points her boots towards Pop’s. He always offers her the comfort of a ride but she always shakes her head no. They share a cigarette and walk over in silence. It’s good. It’s quiet. Jughead finds he likes the silences he shares with her. He likes them just as much as their conversations. 

He’s waiting in the parking lot for her one afternoon when Cheryl saunters up. He can’t help the slight smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth when he sees her. She graces him with a genuine smile before leaning up and kissing his cheek.

“Forsythe,” she says softly in greeting. “Waiting for the Serpent princess are you?”

“Maybe,” he admits with a shrug. They haven’t exactly been secretive but they haven’t included anyone else in their milkshake dates either.

“You certainly are taking your time wooing her,” Cheryl comments. She widens her eyes and presses her lips together. Jughead knows this routine. He’s seen Cheryl work the very same moves on other people until they’re gushing about whatever it is she wants to know. “Jughead?”

“Are you insinuating something, Cheryl?” Jughead asks slowly.

“Just a casual observation,” Cheryl says with a shrug that seems far from casual. “I’ve barely seen you. I miss my other half.”

“I thought that was Jason?”

“You know what I mean,” Cheryl replies, crossing her arms. She sighs loudly before looking away from him. “Veronica ditched practice. Something about her job.”

“Oh.”

She watches him for a long minute before she starts to smile. He knows that smile. It’s the one that means she knows something that he doesn’t. That she’s figured something out and that she’s clever. It used to be his favorite. It used to mean some delicious gossip. It used to mean that it was just them against the world.

“You seem to like her a lot.”

There it is.

“You wanted me to get her to be my homecoming date. I believe we had a wager.”

“Yes, we did,” she says, stepping closer to him. “But it seems that you’re going above and beyond.”

“She’s as much of a challenge as you expected.”

“Hmmm,” Cheryl hums. She looks up at him through her lashes and fiddles with the button of his shirt. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, Juggiekins. She is a Serpent, after all. And I know that under all the sass and designer blazers is the heart of a true poet.”

“Cheryl-dear, are you nervous that I might just win?” Jughead asks, grabbing her hand. She clutches to his hand just as tightly and looks grim. “Oh. You _are_.”

“What do I care if you win?” she snaps yanking her hand away. She takes a moment to regain her calm, smooths the bottom of her cheer shirt. “I just wanted to remind you what the point is. That and to warn you, of course.”

“You’re dating Toni,” Jughead says, tilting his head. “You have your own Serpent to worry about.”

Cheryl rolls her eyes and it’s an exaggerated lie. They’ve known each other their whole lives. He’ll never understand why she still insists on pretending that she’s the emotional anorexic that her father accuses her of being.

“Toni is not a problem,” Cheryl says, straightening her spine and leaning into the lie a little more. “Like I said. I am simply ensuring that I have the perfect Senior Homecoming experience.”

“Of course,” Jughead says with a patronizing nod. Cheryl huffs and flips her braid over her shoulder to play with the end. “Do you want a ride to Thistle House?”

“If it pleases you,” she says softly, the corner of her mouth curling up. She looks pleased.

“Always,” he says, opening the passenger side door to his car.

She pauses before getting in. Tips up on her toes to press a long kiss to his cheek. She whispers a thank you against his skin and drags her fingers along his jaw before finally climbing in the car. She crosses her legs and looks up at him with a soft smile, “Always such a gentleman.”

He rolls his eyes and shuts the door on her. The ride to Thistle House is a quiet one. Cheryl hangs her hand out of the window, swerving it up and down in the wind. When he pulls up in front of the house, Cheryl turns to him. She looks him up and down before saying slowly, “Veronica works at the White Wyrm with Toni.”

“And?”

“And,” Cheryl says. “I would like to see my paramour. Accompany me?”

“Why?”

“I haven’t been _invited_ , exactly,” Cheryl says, nostrils flaring and mouth pressing into a dramatic frown. “But. That will not deter me. So, come with me.”

He knows it’s a bad idea. Veronica doesn’t talk about the Southside. Not since their first date at Pop’s. It’s easier that way. They don’t talk Southside and he tries to tone down the constant references to his wealth. It’s a precarious balance but it’s a balance that works.

“Show some backbone, Jones,” Cheryl huffs. “You’ve been following her lead this whole time and, to be honest, that is not the Jughead Jones that I know.”

“And what would the Jughead Jones you know do?” he drawls, lowering his eyelids and looking at her through his lashes. She bites her bottom lip, trying and failing to suppress the pleased smile that he knows wants to spread across her face.

“Well, for starters,” she says, leaning an elbow on the center console. She rests her chin in the palm of her hand and graces him with a genuine smile. He wonders briefly how many people get to see this smile. If Toni gets to see this smile. “The Jughead Jones I know would put on his best outfit. Venue appropriate, of course, and walk in like he owned the place.”

“With you on my arm, of course,” he finishes for her.

“Naturally,” she says with a small shrug.

"Are we attempting to make a certain pint sized Serpent jealous?" Jughead asks. He knows how Cheryl works. Knows the mind games that she's prone ton playing. "Should I play up our natural flirtations to obnoxious levels?"

"Unneeded," Cheryl says, shaking her head. "Though I do appreciate the offer. I just want an escort." 

“I’ll be back around 9, then,” Jughead says. Cheryl claps her hands together before leaning across the console to kiss him on the corner of his mouth. He licks off the remaining maple flavored lipstick and waves a little as she climbs out of the car.

He’s tempted to go to Pop’s and waste the time away with his laptop and a pot of coffee. But he looks down at his customary jeans and button up. He knows that Cheryl would never forgive him if he picked her up dressed like this. However, the thought of going home. Of having to possibly face his father. It makes Pop’s seem that much nicer.

He reaches into the breast pocket of his shirt and pulls out the pack of cigarettes. He can at least try and keep his nerves in check before going to the Pembrooke. He turns up the music to an unreasonable level and sticks an arm out of the window. The ride is short but he savors every second of it.

He avoids the lobby and takes the servant’s entrance straight to his room. He lights a candle or six and rifles through his bedside table until he finds a joint. He kisses it in gratitude before lighting up and opening a window. He puts on a record, keeping it at a modest level. He stares at his closet and nearly groans.

What the fuck is he supposed to wear to a biker bar? He knows his usual array of button ups and blazers isn’t going to cut it. He’s sure there’s a lesson in this somewhere about being yourself and being with people who accept you for who you are. He rolls his eyes at himself and blows out a lungful of smoke.

He settles on a black button up and the leather jacket he has. He finger combs his hair back and checks himself in the mirror. He feels like a modern Johnny Cash and tries to remember to say as much to Veronica. He’s sure she’ll find it hilarious.

He finishes his joint, blows out the candles and decides to brave the living room. He’s not surprised to find the rest of the condo empty. He should have known better. Inspection of the kitchen and his father’s room shows that FP probably hasn’t been home in days.

Again. He’s not surprised.

He grabs his bag with his laptop and heads back down the servants entrance. He heads to Pop’s fully intent on wasting time until he can pick up Cheryl.

A pot of coffee and almost two chapters written later, Jughead finally stands up from his booth. He cracks his back and packs away his laptop. The ride to Thistle House is short and Cheryl is already standing out front when he pulls up.

She holds up a single finger when she climbs into the car and reaches over to turn up the radio. Jughead stares at her for a long minute before finally pulling out of the driveway. She doesn’t say anything as they drive over to the Southside. She doesn’t even look at him. Once he’s finally parked, she licks her lips, turns the music down, and says, “My family is a toxic pit of emotional and mental abuse.”

“Have you been thinking up that sentence the whole ride over?” Jughead asks because snarkiness is what he does and he knows that Cheryl will appreciate it. He’s rewarded with a small smile and a roll of her eyes. “What happened this time?”

“The usual,” she says with a shrug that barely hides how badly she’s hurting. She has always been good at that. “I’m not Jason. I’m not capable of honoring the Blossom name the way that they want. Father is . . . disapproving of my relationship with Toni. I don’t even know how he found out.”

He opens his mouth to say something but Cheryl just laughs, “I know that the only reason Father even agreed to having another child was so that they could have a spare. _Just in case_." She snorts, the most inelegant thing he's ever seen Cheryl Blossom do. "I know that. I’ve always known that. Pity that I didn’t turn out more like Jason.”

“Cheryl.”

“We both know what my father is capable of,” Cheryl snaps. She flips down the visor and checks her lipstick in the small mirror. “They love me. In their own, twisted way but it’s not enough. It’s not _good_ enough. Not like this.”

She sniffs loudly before gently fixing her eye makeup with her pinky. She turns to him with a smile that he doesn’t buy for a minute but he knows her. Knows that the only way she’s going to move on is with a few drinks and maybe a pill or two.

He reaches across the center console and pulls her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. When he pulls away she’s looking at him with wide eyes, lips forming a small o. He smirks at her and nods towards the White Wyrm asking, “Ready to devastate the small folk?”

“Of course,” she says, mouth spreading into a wicked smile. They both climb out of the car and Cheryl loops her arm through his, reaching down to tangle their fingers together. Cheryl looks up at him and lets out a slow breath. “If I were into guys, Jughead Jones, I think I could fall in love with you.”

Jughead laughs and looks down at Cheryl with twinkling eyes. He steers her towards the door and puts his free hand in his pocket. He’s sure they’re just as striking as Cheryl had envisioned when she first came up with this plan.

The bar itself is about as grimey and run down as he expected from the southside of Riverdale. But it’s warm and the music is alright and less people give them the stink eye that he expected. He spots the group of Riverdale Serpents, crowding around a pool table. Jughead goes to steer Cheryl towards them but she pulls him towards the bar where Veronica is filing a pitcher of beer.

“Ronniekins,” Cheryl says with a bright smile. Veronica’s eyes go twice their size when she takes in Cheryl and Jughead. She actually over pours the pitcher and curses when it splashes her hand. “Don’t you look dapper in your barmaid outfit.”

Veronica looks down at the crop top and jeans she’s wearing before shaking her head. She doesn’t even look at Jughead before moving from around the bar and delivering the pitcher to a loud table. Jughead can't help but notice the serpent tattoo on her shoulder. He realizes that he's never seen her bare shoulders - she's always in short sleeves at school, even wearing a slightly modified Vixens uniform. The men at the table all wear Serpent jackets, tattoos of their own poking out from under sleeves and on necks, and look to be half past done already. Veronica gives them a tight lipped smile before the loudest one with a long beard and a nose ring, wraps an arm around her waist. He leans up and whispers something in Veronica’s ear that makes her stand up straight.

Jughead is half tempted to walk over there and say something. Anything to get that guy’s hands off of Veronica. He’s pushing away from the bar when Cheryl stops him with a hand on his bicep. She shakes her head slightly, nodding towards the back room doorway where Hiram Lodge stands. He hasn’t changed much from the last time Jughead saw him. Still short. Still stocky but imposing. He slowly steps into the bar and the rowdy table quiets down.

“Mija,” Hiram calls. He gestures towards her with two fingers and the burly man that has a hold on Veronica instantly lets go. She takes her time crossing the bar, eyes fixed on her father. There’s a sullen recognition there that Jughead hates. That Jughead has felt himself when dealing with his own father. Once she stands in front of him, Hiram cups her elbow and guides her behind the bar. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Veronica mutters. She can feel Jughead’s eyes burning holes in the back of her head. She doesn’t even know why he’s even there. Cheryl had seemed too pleased with herself when she came up to the bar. Veronica is sure that the redhead has something to do with it. “Tall Boy is being a jackass. As usual.”

“Did he touch you?” Hiram asks, menace in his voice. Veronica swallows the lump in her throat and shakes her head. He looks past her shoulder and she knows that he’s eyeing the table. “If they touch you. You tell me. I will deal with it.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Veronica insists. “I can handle Tall Boy. I can handle the Serpents.”

“It’s not a question about what you can or cannot handle, mija,” Hiram says, cupping her cheek. He gives her another searching look before nodding. “It’s about respect. If they don’t respect you then they don’t respect me. And if they don’t respect me then we have a problem. Don’t we, mija?”

“Of course, Daddy,” Veronica mutters. She turns to go back to the bar but he stops her with a hand on her shoulder.

“That’s Jughead Jones, isn’t it?” he asks. Veronica doesn’t turn back to her father, just looks at Jughead and Cheryl. They aren’t paying attention to her anymore, heads close together while they talk next to the bar. “What’s he doing here?”

“He’s here to see me,” Veronica says with a shrug. It knocks Hiram’s hand off her shoulder and she feels herself relax slightly. “School work.”

“Seems quite out of the way for a Jones to go just to talk school work,” Hiram says, stepping up behind Veronica. “Are you sure that’s all he wants? We know what the Northside does to people.”

“It’s just school,” Veronica lies. Hiram hums but finally lets her walk away. She marches up to Jughead and grabs the lapel of his leather jacket, dragging him out to the parking lot. She’s practically vibrating with irritation so much so that she doesn’t care what she looks like.

“Gentle hands, Veronica,” Jughead snaps. “This is Italian leather, you know.”

“What are you doing here?” Veronica snaps.

“Cheryl wanted an escort,” Jughead says with his usual air of nonchalance. “I was happy to accommodate.”

“Bullshit.”

“What?”

She steps into his space and pokes at him with a finger. She’s never looked so angry. Not at him directly. She glares up at him before asking again, “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you."

Veronica blinks and steps back a little. He’s clearly caught her off guard. He likes it. He takes the chance to step back into her space.

“I've gotten used to our milkshake conversations, Lodge,” Jughead says. “You bailed on me without warning but I still I made an effort to see you. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” she says shaking her head, voice tiny and unsure. “Nothing at all.”

“Are you sure about that?” Jughead asks, tilting his head. Veronica looks away from him with a huff but he tilts her chin back to him. “What is it, Veronica?”

“I’m not one to be someone’s slumming fodder,” Veronica says, clenching her jaw. She finally looks him in the eye and blows out loudly through her nose. “Whatever thrills you think you’re going to get by dating a Southside girl? Forget about them. Never going to happen.”

“I’m sure there’s at least one Southside girl willing to entertain any thrills I might want,” Jughead says because he’s as ass and he likes that she’s all riled up over him. He puts a hand on her shoulder when she opens her mouth to argue, covering the snake there. He rubs his thumb over it and feels goosebumps under his palm. “Did it ever strike you that I actually enjoy your presence?”

“This is about homecoming isn’t it?” Veronica asks, crossing her arms and shrugging his hand off. “You just want a date.”

“You are, by far, the hardest date I have ever perused. Yes,” Jughead concedes. He curls his hand into a fist, tries to ignore the way his palm still burns from her skin. He gives in and reaches out to grab her hand, lacing their fingers together. Veronica looks down at their hands with a frown. “But none of that changes the fact that I truly enjoy your presence, Lodge.”

Veronica stares up at him with wide eyes before yanking her hand back like he burned her. She rubs her palm against her jeans before walking past him and mumbling something about getting back to work. He watches her go before groaning and looking up at the sky. He only gets a moment of self-pity before Veronica is storming back to him.

“I will be your homecoming date,” she says. He opens his mouth to say something but she cuts him off. “I will be your date but that doesn’t mean anything. I do not like you, Jones.”

“Of course not.”

“I am doing this because Toni insists that I attend and I am not showing up stag to my senior homecoming,” she continues, pointing at him. He tries his very best not to smile but he knows that he's failing spectacularly. “Don’t smile. Don’t enjoy this.”

“How am I supposed to not enjoy this?” Jughead asks, scratching the back of his neck. “This is an enjoyable moment.”

“Shut up,” Veronica says, shaking her head and suppressing a smile of her own. She punches him in the shoulder and it actually hurts. “Don’t let it go to your head, okay?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jughead says, rolling his eyes and rubbing his shoulder. He takes the initiative and reaches out with a shaking hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her lashes flutter for a second and his stomach flips over. “But you’ll be my date?”

“For this one dance,” she says slowly. He’s sure that she’s trying to seem tough, uncaring, but he doesn’t buy it for a second. She stares at him for a long, quiet moment before she smirks slightly. “And our milkshake chats, of course.”

“Of course,” Jughead says with a nod. Veronica nods back.

The door to the Wyrm opens and loud music pours out into the parking lot. A couple of drunk Serpents stumble out, both of them staring at Jughead. It’s clear they don’t think he belongs. They aren’t wrong. Jughead knows it. Veronica knows it. She knows it and, in the face of her fellow Serpents’ judgement, she doesn’t care. She steps up to Jughead and cups the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet her mouth.

Jughead doesn’t hesitate to kiss her back, to grab both of her hips with his hands. He pulls her flush against him, urging her to stand on her toes. She wraps her arm around his neck, cradling the back of his head in the crook of her elbow. She slides a hand into her hair, tugging slightly. His mouth falls open, tongue reaching out to run along the seam of her lips.

She pulls away suddenly, dropping down onto her feet. She touches her mouth with a finger. It’s puffy and red, her lipstick smeared everywhere. Jughead is sure that he has his own layer of lipstick now. He doesn't rub at it, just smiles at her lopsided and a little goofy.

“That meant nothing,” she says instantly, shoving her hands into her back pockets. The corner of her mouth quirks up and something in Jughead’s stomach flips over again. “I’ll see you after practice next week.”

“I’m Cheryl’s ride,” Jughead says, gesturing towards the bar. He doesn’t say that he wants to spend more time with her. He doesn’t say anything about how she hasn’t stopped smiling since she kissed him.

“Trust me,” Veronica says. “Once Toni sees her, she won’t need a ride from you anymore.”

“Right.”

“Goodnight, Jughead,” Veronica says, turning back to the bar.

“Goodnight, Daisy,” he calls after her. She pauses and turns back to him with a raised eyebrow. She purses her lips and puts her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation. Jughead slowly steps up to her and shrugs. “If I’m going to be the Gatsby of Riverdale, figure that makes you my Daisy.”

“Now that,” Veronica says with a laugh. “That is definitely up for discussion. Make sure you do your research, Jones.”

“Naturally.”

She turns on her heel and flips him off before she slips back into the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a strong enough woman to admit that watching The Magicians season 3 has heavily inspired Jughead in this chapter. Jughead and Cheryl's relationship in fact. Just think. Elliot and Margo. Okay. I'm done. Hope y'all liked!


	4. two weeks before homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. 2018 is over. It's. Over. And I, for one, would like to say THANK GOD. I am so ready for 2019. I hope you all had a great holiday season! Here's the next one. :)

The music is offensively loud. Too loud for the small, Riverdale neighborhood they’re in. It’s only a matter of time before somebody on the street calls the cops. Honestly, they’re lucky the Coopers are out of town or they would have been busted already. But Betty had assured them all that they were visiting Polly at college. The only one home was Chic and he knew how to keep his mouth shut. Besides, Jughead is sure he saw him outside with the other stoners laughing at something that Reggie Mantle had said. 

Cheryl is holding court as usual, keeping her captive audience with tales of their last trip to New York to visit his sister, Jellybean. Jughead laughs as she recounts how the three of them crashed Gigi Hadid’s Fourth of July party. Cheryl had barely been able to hold Jellybean back when Zayn had come back inside from smoking. Cheryl shares a conspiratory smirk with him as she pauses for a laugh. 

Veronica chooses that moment to tilt his chin towards her so that she can lean up to kiss him, mouth tasting of beer and weed. Jughead smiles and kisses her back. 

He’s enjoyed this new addition to their relationship. She’s taken to trading his cash for coke and weed before disappearing into the crowd. She always finds him again, eyes hazy and a beer in her hand. Always straddles his lap and wraps a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down for a sloppy kiss. 

He never minds. 

“God,” Cheryl snaps. “Can’t you two contain yourselves? The party has barely started.”

Cheryl, on the other hand, seems to always mind very much. He wants to believe it’s the bet. That she hates to lose. A known fact between them but she’s been extra vicious about this one. It’s almost as if she’s forgotten the whole point of the bet in the first place. That losing would ultimately benefit her - benefit her relationship with Toni that’s barely slowed down since the summer. Jughead has done his best to keep the peace between the two of them but he’s too drunk to care very much tonight.

Veronica pulls away from Jughead to glare over at Cheryl. She’s perched on the arm of the loveseat, red solo cup in hand. She had been going on about something that Veronica hadn’t bothered to pay attention to. She raises her eyebrows and shifts so that her back is pressed against Jughead’s. She motions towards Cheryl with her own drink, urging her to continue. Jughead pokes her in the side but she doesn’t take her gaze away from Cheryl. 

“Anyways, there are more important things to talk about,” Cheryl says, rolling her eyes at Veronica’s antics. “Homecoming is coming up and I wanted to make sure that we all knew the plan.”

“We’re all going together?” Betty asks, gesturing at the circle with wide eyes. She looks at the way Veronica still draped over Jughead and swallows loudly. “I’m pretty sure that I’m going in the Bulldog group with Reg.”

“Wrong,” Chery says, shaking her head. “You are in my homecoming group.”

“I should probably get Reggie,” Betty says, shaking her head and starting to stand up. “I’m pretty positive he and Moose were going to match ties or something stupid like that.”

“Stay seated, Cooper, you can inform Reginald later of the change of plans,” Cheryl says, gesturing for her to sit down. “You’re one of the better Vixens, though I am loathe to admit it, and so you’re part of my homecoming entourage.” 

“Your entourage?” Betty asks, incredulity thick in her voice. 

“But of course, since I  _ am _ going to win homecoming queen this year, I need to be surrounded by still attractive but not more attractive than me people. You obviously qualify,” Cheryl says like it’s obvious. Veronica can’t help but snort. “Do you have an opinion, Lodge?”

“Why would anyone else’s opinion matter, Cheryl?” Veronica asks. Jughead squeezes her side again but she bats his hand away. She’s in no mood. 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You always hold court at these parties which, you know, is fine when they’re  _ your  _ parties,” Veronica says. A splash of beer hits her hand and she peers down at her cup with a slight frown before continuing. “But this is Archie’s party. Archie’s house. How about for once you just chill and have fun?”

“Ex _ cuse _ me?” Cheryl asks, eyes narrowing into a glare. She stands up and puts a hand on her hip, looking every bit the social queen b that she is. “Did anyone ask you to come to any of these parties?”

“Jughead - “

“I mean as an actual  _ guest _ ?” Cheryl cuts her off, holding a hand up. She gestures towards the rest of the circle with her hand. “Everyone here is an actual party guest. What you are, Veronica Lodge, is a party crasher.”

“Okay, Cheryl, that’s enough,” Betty says, holding a hand up. “Veronica is just as much Archie’s friend as you are. It’s only crashing if you’re not wanted.”

“I’m sorry, Betty, were you asked for your opinion?” Cheryl snaps, not taking her eyes off of Veronica. “I think not. B-characters should keep their mouths shut unless their cued to speak.”

“Back off Cheryl,” Veronica shouts across the room. “Betty didn’t do anything. So leave her alone.”

“That’s right,” Cheryl says, nodding her head. She looks between Betty and Veronica with an appraising gaze. “B & V. Best friends until the end. Tell me, Betty. Do you know about Veronica’s little side hustle? I’m sure you do since you two are so close and all.”

“Shut up, Cheryl,” Veronica says through clenched teeth. She sits up straight, finally pulling away from Jughead’s arms. “For once just shut up.”

“Come on,” Jughead mutters into her ear. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” she hisses at him over her shoulder. She doesn’t taker her eyes off of Cheryl. She’s sure this is an alpha animal situation. If she backs down now, she’ll have to back down for the rest of her life. 

“Fine. Whatever,” Jughead groans. He shifts behind her, leaning back into the sofa. He knows that glint in Cheryl’s eyes. She won’t be satisfied until she’s drawn blood. “Dig your own grave.” 

“What? Don’t you want your best friend to know just how it is you’re able to afford all of those milkshakes? Besides slinging beer to overage bikers, I mean?” Cheryl asks. She smirks and looks around the circle, chuckling a little. There’s nothing funny about it. “We all know the Southside can’t exactly tip well.”

“What is your point, Cheryl?” Betty asks with a huff.

“I’m simply trying to ensure that we all have open and honest relationships.”

“You’re just being a bitch, Cheryl!” Valerie calls from her corner next to Melody. Melody snorts and presses her face to her girlfriend’s shoulder, trying to hide her smile. Cheryl doesn’t even acknowledge that Valerie said anything. 

“What are you even talking about?” Betty asks with a short laugh. She looks between Veronica and Cheryl with a frown and a raised eyebrow. “Guys. We were just planning homecoming a minute ago.”

“Yes, what are we talking about Veronica?” Cheryl asks, crossing her arms and tilting her head. Her cascade of red hair flows down her side, catching the light from a passing car. Jughead wishes he could slip away to smoke a joint, anything to escape the tension that’s filled the room. “Won’t you care to enlighten us?”

“What is your problem, Cheryl?” Veronica snaps, standing up finally. 

“I just don’t understand why we all have to sit here and pretend like you’re one of us, Veronica. You are the only Southsider at Riverdale High who just keeps showing up. So entitled and honestly? I don’t blame you. I blame us,” Cheryl says, gesturing at the circle. “We all know what you are. And we should say it more often. Just so  _ you _ remember. You, Veronica Lodge, are Southside, drug-dealing trash.” 

The room is filled with a stunned silence. Veronica stares at her with clear shock on her face. Cheryl’s face is as calm as if she were discussing the weather. Jughead sits up straight, eyes growing wide as Cheryl slowly walks towards Veronica. 

“Your father was drug-dealing trash,” Cheryl says, ticking off her fingers. “And now. He makes you deal his drugs. What kind of father is that?”

“Back off, Cheryl,” Veronica says through clenched teeth. “You don’t know jack shit about my life.”

“I know enough to know that you don’t belong,” Cheryl drawls. She looks Veronica up and down. “You try so hard. You’re a Vixen. The school newspaper. You play nice with all of us when needed. But the real reason anyone tolerates you is because you deal. That’s all.”

“That is not true, Cheryl,” Betty chimes in, standing up. So goes to Veronica’s side and glares at Cheryl. Her hands are curled into fists and her cheeks are pink with anger. “We’re her friends.”

“Shut up, Betty,” Cheryl snaps. 

“Don’t talk to her that way,” Veronica says. Jughead stands up behind her, hand reaching out to grasp her hip. Cheryl doesn’t miss the motion, nostrils flaring in irritation. “Stop talking to all of us that way.”

“Don’t dictate anything to me, Veronica Lodge,” Cheryl says. She looks at Jughead for a moment and his stomach drops. He doesn’t know what Cheryl is thinking. For the first time in so long, he doesn’t know. “You are just as small as this town.”

“Alright Cheryl,” Jughead says finally finding his voice. “Enough is enough.”

“No, Forsythe, I don’t think so,” Cheryl says shaking her head. “I mean. Even you understand what it is I’m saying. Surely?”

“This is not the time or place for this shit,” Jughead says, shaking his head. 

“Wait,” Veronica asks, turning to look Jughead in the eye. “Is there a time or a place where this is at all appropriate?”

“Veronica. No.”

“Be honest with her, Forsythe,” Cheryl says, waving her hand at the two of them. “She’s owed that much at least, isn’t she?” 

“What are you talking about, you viper?” Veronica snaps turning back to Cheryl. “The two of you are always talking in fucking riddles. God. Talk like teenagers. Please.”

“It. Was. A bet.”

Jughead’s heart dive bombs into his stomach, splashing up a burst of anxiety he hasn’t felt since middle school. Cheryl smiles at both of them, a shark scenting the blood in the water, and walks past Veronica. She casually pulls a dollar bill from her pocket and holds it out towards Jughead. He stares down at the bill in abject horror. He doesn’t even hear Veronica leave the room or Betty calling after her. 

“You had this planned?” Jughead asks, trying to talk past the lump in his throat. He barely takes in the way Cheryl’s face crumples before he’s chasing after Veronica. She’s still in the driveway, Betty’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. “Veronica.”

Betty turns around, mouth pressed into a thin and angry line. She marches up to Jughead and shoves at his chest a little snapping, “You think you can just do whatever you want, don’t you?” 

“Betty,” Jughead says, grabbing her wrists. “I need to talk to Veronica.”

“Why? To rub salt in the wound?” 

“To explain.”

“What is there to explain, Jughead?” Betty asks, narrowing her eyes. She shoves at him again, pushing him back a step. “You and Cheryl were having one of your bets.  _ Again _ . Without any regard to the people around you. Tell me. What is there to explain?”

“Veronica,” Jughead says, ignoring Betty and talking over her head. “It started that way but it doesn’t mean anything now. I swear it doesn’t.”

“Go away, Jughead,” Veronica says without turning around. “Just. Go away. Leave me alone.”

“No. I need you to hear me,” Jughead snaps, shaking his head. He pushes past Betty and stands just behind Veronica, too chicken shit to actually make her turn around and face him. “I asked you to be my date as a bet. Yes. But that doesn’t mean that what I feel isn’t genuine. That what we’ve shared isn’t genuine.” 

Veronica laughs and turns around to look up at him. Her cheeks are shiny with tears but he can tell that she’s angry more than anything. She clenches her teeth, baring them at him as she speaks, “You’re trash, Jughead Jones. You and Cheryl and everything about the Northside is trash. Just as trash as the Southside. It’s the whole damn town!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Of course you don’t get it,” Veronica groans, shutting her eyes. She licks her lips and lets out a slow breath. When she opens her eyes again, Jughead is so much closer with her face cupped in his hands. “Whatever this was. However it started, it was bound to be trash in the end.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Jughead says, shaking his head. She pulls away from him and rubs at the feeling of his skin on her face. “Why are you talking about trash? And the town? I’m talking about us. About you and me.”

“And I am too!” Veronica shouts. She breathes loudly through her nose before looking up at him. “Whatever this was. It’s done. It’s trash. Like me. Like you. Like this fucking town. It’s done.”

She turns on her heel and walks away from him, shoulders hunched in and hands shoved into her pockets. He watches her walk away until she rounds a corner and disappears from his sight. Jughead curses under his breath and rubs his hands through his hair. 

“Jughead?” Betty asks from behind him. She touches his shoulder gently but he just shrugs her off. “Did you mean it?”

“Does it matter?” he grumbles. 

He fishes out his pack of cigarettes and lights one, blowing the smoke up. He could laugh at himself. Making a fool of himself like that. All for nothing. He doesn’t know what it was that he had been expecting. For her to fall into his arms full of instant forgiveness? Such a fucking idiot .

“Jughead?” Cheryl’s voice calls out, hesitant and small. He closes his eyes and exhales through his nose. He hears Betty mutter something before she wanders back into the house, leaving the two of them alone. “Juggiekins?” 

“Don’t. Don’t call me that,” Jughead says. His throat feels tight and he’s just so fucking angry. He throws his cigarette onto the ground and stomps it out with my toe. He spins around and marches up to her, hands curled into fists that turn his knuckles white. “Are you fucking happy? That little performance worked. She dumped me.”

“It was all a bet, Jughead,” Cheryl says. She won’t look him in the eye and she’s hunching in on herself in way that is in every way not-Cheryl. “You were only tolerating her for a bet.” 

“I was  _ tolerating _ her because I  _ like _ her, Cheryl!” Jughead snaps, trying to catch her eye. He stands up straight and tugs on his hair. “You saw it. I know you saw it. No one knows me like you do. You can’t tell me you missed it.” 

“She’s beneath you, Jughead,” Cheryl says, shaking her head. “Everyone in this town is beneath you. Beneath  _ us _ .”

“Not her!” Jughead shouts. Cheryl flinches and he deflates a little, hands dropping down to his sides. “What the fuck is going on with you?”

“It’s our Senior year, Jughead,” Cheryl says slowly. She laughs a little and shakes her head. “ _ Our _ Senior year. You and me. Together.”

“And we are together, Cheryl! We’ve done everything together! We were going to be in the same homecoming group, for Chrissakes!” Jughead shouts. 

“You think I didn’t notice you choosing her over me?” Cheryl asks, voice dropping low. It's the tone she uses when she talks about her parents. Not to him. Never to him. “You think I don’t see the signs? I’m not stupid, Forsythe.”

“Why is it between her and you? We’re not together, Cheryl,” Jughead groans. 

“I may not want to fuck you, Jughead Jones,” Cheryl snaps before her face softens. She takes a step forward to cup his face in both of her hands. “But that doesn’t make you any less mine or me any less yours. We are made for each other, Jones, don’t you see that?”

Jughead stares down at Cheryl with wide eyes. He cups Cheryl’s face in return and pulls her forward, kissing the top of her head. He wraps her in his arms and squeezes tight. Cheryl latches onto his waist just as tight before burying her face into the crook of his neck. 

“I’m not choosing her over you,” Jughead whispers into her hair. “It’s not like that, Cherbear.”

She chuckles against his neck at the old nickname. 

“No one has called me that since Jason went away,” Cheryl whispers. “I thought you’d forgotten.”

“How could I forget such a shining moment of my young wit?”

“He left me alone in that house. In this town. Full of people who hate me,” Cheryl says softly using the same flat tone from earlier. He’s not prepared for it when Cheryl starts to cry softly against his chest. It doesn’t take long for the soft cries to turn into loud, heaving sobs. Jughead holds her tighter, whispering calming words against her hair. It doesn’t last long - a few second max but it’s the longest that she’s openly cried in years. “He left for some out of state school so he could be with Polly fucking Cooper.”

“What?” Jughead huffs in a disbelieving laugh. There’s no way that Jason would dare try and cross the Blossom-Cooper feud. Not the shining star heir to the Blossom fortune. 

“That’s why he went to Georgetown,” Cheryl says, voice still thick with tears. “Instead of staying here and going to UMass. Because of Polly. So they could  _ be _ together. Makes me sick.”

“And your thing with Toni?” Jughead asks because he has to know. “How does that factor in all of this? You care about her. I know you do.” 

Cheryl pulls away and looks up at him with serious eyes as she says, “Nothing on this Earth could make me choose some girl over Jason or you. Girls come and go. You two are part of me.”

“Cheryl.”

She closes her eyes and lets out a wet breath. She licks her lips, pale pink now that they’re bare of all lipstick, and says slowly, “I know that I can be . . . possessive. That I hold on tight when I should let go. But.” She looks at him again and lets out a small cry. “I love you, Forsythe.”

“And I love you, too,” Jughead says, cupping her face. “I swear I do.”

“But you want  _ her _ more,” Cheryl chokes out. “Right?”

“Stop it!” Jughead snaps. “Stop making me choose. We have been best friends since our parents forced us into cotillion classes at the country club. I am not giving all of that up just because I like a girl! Stop panicking, Cheryl. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I don’t want to be left alone, Jughead,” she whispers before a new round of tears breaks through. She presses her forehead to Jughead’s chest and he lets her cry herself out. She sniffles a few times before pulling away from him. She wipes at her nose and frowns at the makeup stain she left on his shirt. “God. So gross.”

“Those pesky emotions,” Jughead mutters. He points down at his shirt and raises his eyebrow. “You know this was a hundred dollar shirt.”

“And you know I’ll buy you a replacement,” Cheryl says, sniffing loudly. She looks over her shoulder back at the party before turning back to Jughead. “Take me home?”

“Of course,” he says, slinging an arm over her shoulders. 

“You’re not mad at me?” she asks softly as he guides her to the street. He’s too drunk to drive but he can still walk her home. “For ruining it between you and Veronica?”

“I’m not focusing on that right now,” Jughead says, shaking his head. He can see the way Veronica eyes seemed to shut him out, seemed to see right through him. No. He’s definitely not focusing on that right now. That’s for later when he’s alone in his room and four joints deep. “Right now, lets focus on walking you home.”

“Thanks, Juggiekins,” Cheryl’s whispers into the night air. “I know I don’t deserve it - don’t deserve you but thanks. Thank you, Jughead.”

“No thanks needed, Blossom,” Jughead mutters as he pulls out another cigarette. Cheryl makes a face at him in disgust but he lights one anyways. He blows the smoke up into the sky and watches the way it seems to curl around the stars. Jughead sighs and lets his head fall back. “Tonight was a shit show.”

“The shittiest of shows,” Cheryl agrees with him. “Partly, of course, my fault.”

“Entirely your fault.”

“Fine,” Cheryl says through her teeth. “Entirely my fault.”

“We’ve survived worse,” Jughead says, trying to laugh it all off. Trying to ignore the way his stomach is still unsettled, the way the back of his throat tastes like anxiety. “We’ll be fine.”

“I know that,” Cheryl says. “But it’s not you and me that I am worried about, Juggiekins.”

Jughead looks down at her with a raised eyebrows. She scoffs, “You and Veronica, you moron.”

“Oh. So, you care about that now?”

“I still don’t like her,” Cheryl says with a small shrug. “But if you believe that she’s it then so be it. I will try my very best to not stop you.”

“Gee, thanks,” Jughead snarks. 

“I’ll help you win her back,” Cheryl says, giving him a small smile. She crooks her elbow, scoops his hand to sit on her forearm and pats it gently. Nothing about the move is soothing in any way. “Don’t worry, Forsythe, all will be well.”


	5. homecoming night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DID IT! 
> 
> Thank you so much to sheishookedonthesilverscreen for your patience and your love of this fic. I hope you enjoy!

“Come on, Ron,” Fangs whines from the living room. Veronica ignores him as she puts the final touches on her makeup in the dim light of the bathroom. “You’re taking forever!”

“Shut up, Fangs!” Veronica calls back. She smooths out the non-existent wrinkles in the skirt of her dress and tucks away a stray hair. She frowns a little at her reflection, barely recognizing herself all dressed up (full makeup, new turquoise dress and matching heels, and borrowed jewelry from Toni - it's the most she's done for a dance since freshman year), before marching out of the bathroom. Fangs and Sweetpea raise their eyebrows in unison, looking her up and down. Veronica shifts from foot to foot waiting for them to say something. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so cleaned up,” Fangs says with a shrug. His cheeks are a little pink and there’s the faint smell of weed in the air. Veronica narrows her eyes at him and holds out a hand until Sweetpea rolls his eyes and hands her the joint. “It’s like. You’re a girl. Or something.”

“Fuck you, Fogarty,” Veronica snaps before bringing the small joint to her lips. She inhales and exhales, watching the way the smoke curls in the air. “Where’s Toni?”

“She said something about a change of plans,” Fangs says with a shrug. He looks at Sweetpea but Sweetpea just shakes his head. Fangs sighs, dropping his head to his chest before looking at her again. “We’re meeting at the Wyrm.”

"Why would we meet at the Wyrm?" Veronica asks with a frown. She takes another hit off the joint and holds it out to Sweetpea but he's too busy having a silent conversation with Fangs to notice.  “What is that?” She points a finger between the two of them but Fangs just gives her an innocent smile that Veronica doesn't buy. “What is going on? You two are acting weird.”

“It’s just homecoming jitters,” Sweetpea says, giving her a tight lipped smile. “Nervous about who’s going to be crowned king and queen.”

Veronica rolls her eyes and takes another hit off the joint as she mutters, “Don’t lie to me. You’ve been on edge since I got here.”

“It’s nothing, Ron,” Fangs says. He pats his knees and stands up, looking her up and down. “You’re ready. So, let’s go.”

“No,” Veronica says, shaking her head. “Not until you tell me what’s up.”

“Serpents are going to make a play for some Ghoulies turf,” Sweetpea says, shaking his head. Veronica jerks back a little not expecting gang business to be the problem. Let alone this gang business. Veronica was there for that meeting, uninvited and in the back, away from prying eyes. She didn’t want anyone to know she was there, didn’t want any accusations that she was spying for the Snake Charmer. “Might piss off the Snake Charmer though.” 

“Is that why you have a stick up your ass?” Veronica asks, looking between the two of them. They look at each other, having one of those silent conversations again. “Can you two stop that? It drives me nuts and you know it.”

“Don’t hate our love, Ronnie,” Sweetpea says without looking away from Fangs. He raises his eyebrows and nods at Veronica. Fangs huffs and holds his hands up. “Fangs is going to explain. I’m going to start the car.”

He gives Fangs another tight lipped smile before he stands up and straightens his suit jacket. They had both gawked at her but they had cleaned up nice as well in their matching black suits. He gives Veronica an appreciative once-over before stomping out of his trailer. Fangs watches him go, eyes wide and pleading, before facing Veronica. 

“Are you going to explain what the fuck is going on?” Veronica asks with a tired sigh. She reaches up to rub at her eyes but stops herself just in time to not mess up her makeup. She curls her hands into fists and presses them into her hips instead. “Are you and Sweets fighting or something?”

“My relationship is solid,” Fangs says, pointing a finger at her. “Thank you very much.”

“Then what,” Veronica says, grabbing his finger and dragging him forward. “Is with all the silent conversations? Why does Sweets have a stick up his ass and why are we going to the Wyrm?” 

“Jesus Christ,” Fangs whines as he tries to yank his finger free. “Let go you viper!”

“Not until you spill the beans,” Veronica hisses, bending his finger back a little. Fangs twists his body with the motion, shouting loudly. Veronica huffs through her nose before letting go and crossing her arms. “Well?”

Fangs clutches his hand to his chest and flexes his fingers a few times before replying, “Toni is going to homecoming with Cheryl.”

“What?!”

“They made up and Cheryl is riding us all over to the school in a limo,” Fangs continues, ignoring the way she’s glaring daggers at him. “That’s why we’re meeting at the Wyrm.”

“What the fuck? I thought we’d all agreed - no more fucking Northsiders,” Veronica hisses. She’s half-tempted to strip off her makeup and the dress that she’d spent too much money on. She’s half-tempted to just say  _ fuck it _ and spend the night curled around her laptop watching Netflix. “How many time do they have to fuck us over before everyone gets that?”

“Look, Toni is her own person,” Fangs says, shaking his head. “She’s in love. You can’t get mad her for that.”

“But I certainly don’t have to go to homecoming anymore,” Veronica says with a snort. She reaches down to start undoing the clasps on her heels but Fangs reaches out to stop her. “What?”

“You’re still going with us, Lodge,” Fangs says. She bats his hand away and undoes her heels anyways. “Come on, Veronica. It’s Senior year. We’re supposed to be doing this shit together.”

“Did anyone think of that when they found out that Cheryl was joining our group?” Veronica asks with raised eyebrows. Fangs at least has the decency to look slightly ashamed. “Exactly.”

“Toni won’t forgive you if you bail on us,” Fangs replies. It’s a low blow and he knows it. “You know how she is now that it’s senior year. She’d never forgive you if you missed our last homecoming together.”

“Fucking snake,” Veronica hisses. Fangs smiles and rubs his palms together. “I’m not wearing heels then. If I don’t have a date, I’m not going to make myself suffer.”

“Do whatever you want,” Fangs says, holding his hands up in surrender. “As long you’re coming then I’ve accomplished my goal.” 

“Give me a minute,” she huffs as the kicks off her heels. Her feet instantly feel better and she refuses to think too hard about putting her Doc Martens on while still wearing her dress. She’s sure that Jughead would have a comment about it but he’s not there to provide.  Not that she wants him around. Veronica has to almost physically restrain herself from rolling her eyes at herself. The last thing she wants to be thinking about is the Pembroke Prince. 

She hasn’t spoken to him. Not since that stupid party.  And she tells herself (for the millionth time) that she’s okay with it. She doesn’t mind that he doesn’t try to talk to her. That she’s barely even seen him. They’ve gone back to their usual roles in Riverdale. He’s the shining star, Cheryl at his side like always, and she’s the degenerate Serpent, sneaking cigarettes behind the gym. It’s fine. 

She shoves her feet into her boots and puts her heels in the duffel with the rest of her clothes. She shoves it back under Sweetpea’s bed and heads back to Fangs in the living room. He’s sitting down rolling another joint. She smiles before sitting down next to him and watching. He finishes the one in his fingers and starts to roll another. 

“Aren’t we supposed to be meeting Toni?” Veronica asks, leaning into his side a little. 

“She can wait,” Fangs says softly, entirely focused on what he was doing. “I need this. You have no idea how pissed Sweets has been.”

“Trust me - I have some idea,” Veronica says as she grabs one of the joints from the table. She brings it to her lips and starts to reach for the lighter when Fangs takes it back. “Hey!” 

“These are for the dance,” Fangs says, waving the joint back and forth in front of her. Veronica rolls her eyes and snatches it back, lighting it before Fangs can stop her. “Come on, man!”

“This is for the ride over,” Veronica says, mimicking him and waving the lit joint in front of his face. He snatches it from her and takes a long hit, hollowing out his cheeks and narrowing his eyes at her. “There you go, buddy. There you go.”

“You’re an ass,” he croaks before coughing out a cloud of smoke. She rubs his back and laughs a little. His cheeks are pink and his eyes are watering by the time he pulls himself together. “We should go. I’m sure Sweets is annoyed that we’ve made him wait this long.”

“Yes and we mustn’t upset Sweetpea any further, should we?” Veronica mutters. 

She takes the joint back and pulls her Serpent jacket on before grabbing her purse. She doesn’t even bother checking her phone. She’s sure it’s blown up with texts from Toni about where she is. Or even worse, her father. Fangs holds his arm out for her. She smirks a little, joint hanging from her lips, and loops a hand around his forearm. They walk out of the trailer and smile brightly at Sweetpea who glares at them through the windshield of the car. 

He climbs out and throws his hands up in the air, “Are you serious?”

“I told her about Cheryl and then we needed to relax,” Fangs says with a shrug. He lets go of Veronica’s arm and rushes over to him, whispering something that Veronica can’t catch. Sweetpea doesn’t look any less angry but he nods and looks up at her with a tense smile. Fangs turns around as well and gestures with two of his fingers. “Bring that joint this way. We’re going to walk since you’re not wearing heels anymore.”

“You two sure do know how to make a girl feel special,” Veronica mutters as she stomps down the short set of stairs. They each hold an arm out to her and she loops her hands around each of their biceps. Sweetpea snags the joint from her and gives her a crooked smile. “Shall we?”

The walk over to the Wyrm is a short one. They finish the joint between the three of them and make outlandish predictions for how the night is going to end. Nothing that she comes up with comes close to what she walks in on. 

Jughead and Cheryl are leaning against the bar, heads tilted together. He looks good. Sharp in his bespoke suit, turquoise tie, and perfectly tousled hair that she still wants to tug. Cheryl turns toward the door and looks surprised for a second before schooling her face into its usual mask of smug arrogance. Jughead must notice the flicker of emotions on her face because he turns towards Veronica. 

His eyes scan over her, takes in her cheap poofy dress and her dirty boots. Her amateur makeup and hair that's frizzing in the humidity. He soaks it all in and feels his stomach flip over twice. She looks amazing and he takes a step towards her without thinking. Cheryl reaches for his arm, digging her long nails into his forearm. Jughead drags his eyes away from Veronica to look down at the tiny redhead.

“Tread carefully, Forsythe,” Cheryl says softly. “Don’t go getting hurt.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Jughead mutters with a frown. He sees a flash of pink over Cheryl’s shoulder and nods towards Toni as she weaves through the tables. “Try taking your own advice, yeah?”

“Naturally.”

He smirks a little and tucks a loose curl behind her ear, “Love you, Cherbear.”

“And I love you, Juggiekins,” she replies with a soft smile. Her eyes flick to the main door and her smile slides into her usual smirk. “Now go get your girl.”

Jughead takes a deep breath and turns to face Veronica. Except it’s not Veronica in front of him anymore. It’s Sweetpea with Fangs hovering just behind him. Jughead straightens up a little and ignores the way his stomach twists up when he realizes that Sweetpea is still taller than him. Sweetpea smirks a little and crosses his arms, pushing into Jughead’s space a little more. 

“Sweetpea,” Jughead says with a nod. He looks over Sweetpea's shoulder and nods at Fangs. “Fogarty. You’re both looking dapper tonight. Thinking of giving Cheryl a run for her money for homecoming court?” 

“Not a chance,” Cheryl huffs. Jughead doesn’t even spare her a glance as she walks away from them. 

“I don’t like you, Jones,” Sweetpea says, unfazed by either of them. He looks Jughead up and down and sucks his teeth. “You’re a prick and you think money means class.”

“Didn’t know that you were paying so much attention, Mayberry,” Jughead says. He revels in the slight surprise in Sweetpea’s face when Jughead says his surname. “School records are awesome and the front office ladies love me.”

“Of course they do,” Sweetpea mutters as he shakes his head.

“You know his real name?” Fangs asks, eyes wide with wonder. “I don’t even know it!”

“What you call him in bed then?” Jughead asks with a frown. Fangs turns bright red at the insinuation and Sweetpea pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“Look. You fuck this up again and I’ll fuck you up. Got it?” Sweetpea snaps, poking Jughead in the chest.

“Consider me properly intimidated,” Jughead deadpans as he rubs at the bruise that he knows is forming from Sweetpea’s jabs. 

“Look, if you want to be with her then be fucking sure about it, Jones. That's all we're asking here,” Fangs says. He pats Sweetpea’s shoulder and gives Jughead a smile that doesn’t seem even remotely close to being genuine. Jughead mimics him, forcing his lips into a tight smile. 

“Well, thanks for this good-cop, bad-cop pep talk but neither of you are the Serpent that I’m looking for tonight,” Jughead says. 

He straightens the lapels of his jacket and steps around Sweetpea to look for Veronica. Of course, she’s not inside the bar anymore. He’s not surprised that she slipped out when he was being intimidated by Sweetpea and Fangs. Jughead pushes past the two of them and rushes into the parking lot where Veronica is arguing with Toni, arms crossed over her chest. The red eyes on the back of her jacket glare daggers at him in the neon light of the parking lot.

He should probably keep his space but he walks towards them anyways. Neither girl notices him as he crosses the parking lot. Their angry glares are for each other only. Not that he minds. He’s sure that he’s been on the receiving end of enough glares the past two weeks to last the rest of the school year. 

“Look, I will apologize for not telling you,” Toni hisses before she points a finger at Veronica. “But I will not apologize for taking her back  _ or _ for Jughead being here.”

“You are unbelievable!” Veronica snaps, batting Toni’s hand away. “Not all of us are gagging to go to the fucking school dance, Antoinette. Especially not with the people who publicly humiliated you.”

“If you would just talk to him, he could apologize,” Jughead interjects. Veronica jumps a little and spins around to face him with wide eyes. He scratches the back of his neck and gestures at her. “You look nice.”

“What do you want, Jones?” Veronica snaps. She takes a step back into Toni's side, taking comfort in her small hand pressed against Veronica’s lower back. 

“I want to take you to homecoming,” Jughead says with a shrug. “There’s a limo and an afterparty. I even have a corsage in the bar.”

Veronica lets out a slow breath and closes her eyes before speaking, “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“We all know why you asked me out, Jughead,” Veronica says softly. She looks at him again and takes the smallest bit of comfort in the fact that he, at least, looks embarrassed. “If I had known that you were going to be here. I wouldn’t have come.”

“You won’t talk to me,” Jughead says with a sigh. He looks over Veronica’s shoulder to make eye contact with Toni. “Toni - help me out here?”

“If you want to stay my friend, you won’t say a word,” Veronica says, turning to face Toni. Her eyes are wide and she keeps looking between Jughead and Veronica. “No Serpent stands alone, Topaz.”

“Are you really going to quote the laws at me, right now?” Toni snaps with an irritated huff. Veronica just raises her eyebrows and nods. Toni looks at Jughead again for a long minute before turning back to Veronica. “I’m Switzerland.”

“You cannot be neutral in all of this!” Veronica snaps. “It’s your fault that he’s even here.”

“Nope,” Toni says, holding her hands up and walking past Veronica and Jughead. “I have a date waiting inside for me. You two figure this out on your own.”

“Toni!” Veronica calls after her but Toni ignores her and marches into the bar. Veronica sighs and looks at Jughead for a brief moment before turning on her heel and walking away. Jughead follows after her a few paces behind but keeping up with her quick pace all the same. “Go away, Forsythe!”

“Not until you talk to me,” he says. He kicks a rock and it bounces off the back of her knee. 

“What is there to talk about?” she screams as she turns around to face him. His eyes widen at her outburst and he holds his hands up in surrender but it’s not enough to deter her. She shoves at his chest and follows after him when he stumbles backwards. “You’re an asshole and I am  _ done _ with Northside assholes.”

“So, if I were a Southside asshole I’d have a chance?” Jughead asks, grabbing her wrists to stop her from pushing him again. She scoffs and rolls her eyes, tugging at her wrists. He holds on though and pulls her closer to him. “What? I thought this was a Southside-versus-Northside thing.”

“It’s a ‘you’re an asshole and use people as entertainment’ thing,” Veronica hisses. 

“I never tried to be anything other than what I am, Lodge,” Jughead says softly. He leans in a little and Veronica gets a strong whiff of his cologne. She blinks and shakes her head a little trying to pull herself together. “I’ve always been an ass. Thought you liked that. A little.”

“You’re not listening to me!” Veronica shouts, finally freeing herself from his grasp. She runs her hands through her hair, ruining the curls she’d so painstakingly done. “What did you think was going to happen here, Jughead? You. You tricked me and made me think you gave a shit only to embarrass me in front of almost the entire Senior class. Did you think I would just forget that everything was based on a  _ lie _ ?” 

“I thought I’d get a chance to say that I’m sorry,” Jughead says. His voice is low enough that Veronica misses half of what he said. She takes a step forward and stares at his chest. She won’t look him in the eye. Not right now. “That yes, I made the bet with Cheryl because I didn’t know you and I thought it would just be a date. Nothing more. I didn’t expect, well, I didn’t expect you, Veronica.”

She snorts a little and shakes her head. It’s so cliche but her stomach is fluttering and there’s a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth all the same. He takes it for the good sign that it is and steps forward a little. He puts his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels a little to look her in the eye as he continues, “I’m sure you are fully aware what a nightmare you can be.”

“I am a goddamn delight, Jones,” she says, poking at his chest, but there’s no heat in her words. He can hear that same teasing tone he’d gotten used to during their short weeks together. “Don’t forget it.”

“I never could,” he says with a short laugh. He takes the advantage again and gently touches the skirt of her dress. He rubs the fabric between his thumb and forefinger, tugs her forward just the slightest bit. “You, Veronica Lodge, are unforgettable.”

“My dad will hate you,” she says softly. She looks down at his chest and bites her lip. She toys with a button on his shirt and his breath catches in his throat. She looks up at him through her lashes and he exhales slowly. “Just for being a Jones.”

“I’m sure if my dad were actually around, he’d hate you just for being a Lodge,” Jughead says with far too much casualness. “Besides, I’ve dealt with the Blossoms for years. I’m used to hateful parents.”

Veronica makes a face and laughs a little. She slides her hand up his chest and to the back of his neck. She plays with the curls at the base of his neck and he takes another step towards her. 

“I’m never going to be friends with Cheryl,” she says.

“I don’t expect you to be,” he replies with a shrug. “She’s not a huge fan of yours either.”

“That’s not a problem for you? Even if she is a heinous bitch, I know she’s your best friend,” Veronica says slowly. She’s biting her lip again and Jughead wants to lean down and do it for her. He tilts his head towards her a little and she inhales sharply. “Jughead?”

“Look, Cheryl thought it was just a bet. I did, too,” Jughead says. She frowns a little, confused. “I fucked it all up. I fell for the girl. Cheryl will learn to deal.”

Her frown deepens and she shakes her head a little before answering, “Was that? Did you just? 10 Things I Hate About You?”

“Paraphrased,” Jughead says with a laugh that lights up his entire face. “I paraphrased.”

“I don’t think that makes it any better!”

“Well, I think it fits us a little better than Gatsby and Daisy,” he says finally wrapping an arm around her waist. She wraps both of her arms around his neck and gives him her first smile of the evening. “Don’t you think?”

“Are you calling me a shrew?” Veronica asks. 

“If the Doc fits, right?”

“This is not how you apologize to someone, Jones,” she points out. 

“I think I already apologized,” he says looking skyward as if in thought. Veronica makes to pull away from him but he reaches up and holds her arms in place before leaning down to give her a sweet kiss. She kisses him back briefly before pulling away to say something. Jughead doesn’t let her get it out before kissing her again and again and again. 

“You can’t just kiss your way out a debate, you know,” she murmurs against his lips. 

“I can damn well try,” he replies as the corner of his mouth perks up.

“That just means your losing.”

“I’m okay with that,” he says before leaning down to kiss her again. "Pretty sure in the long run, I'm winning anyways."

She laughs, throwing her head back, and it's the sweetest thing he's heard in a while. He fully intends on making her laugh like that for as long as she'll let him. It's a soft thought and one he plans on keeping to himself but he doesn't begrudge it. Not when her next move is to tip on her toes so that she can kiss him properly like he's been craving since that fucking party. When she pulls away, her eyes are sparkling and there's a rueful smile on her face, "Think we can give Cheryl and Toni a run for their money?"

He raises an eyebrow, "Wanna bet?"


End file.
